In a study in Japan, a group of scientists painted zebra stripes on the cows in order to confirm if they could reduce the number of flies where these animals live. The experiment was successful.
As a report published on the website of computer today citing the research, it has been found that zebras carry fewer insects than other animals. This is due to the fact that the rays confuse the landing mechanism of species such as flies.
It is important to remember that flies and mosquitoes cause problems for cattle, such as diseases, restlessness in the cows, poor appetite and less milk production. The study estimates that in the United States alone, farmers lose 2.2 billion dollars a year due to insects, and pesticides do not seem to be an efficient solution due to their price and toxicity.
The study of cows – zebras
Researchers Kojima T, Oishi K, Matsubara Y, Uchiyama Y, and Fukushima Y painted six cows with black and white stripes. For three days they photographed them at intervals, 24 hours a day, and patiently counted the number of insects, as well as the number of head or tail movements the cows made to get rid of them.
For another three days, they painted the cows only black, with no stripes, to ensure that insects or cows were not affected by the paint itself, rather than the stripes.
The results were surprising: insects were reduced by just 10 percent with the black paint, but more than 60 percent with the black and white stripes of the zebras. Cow movements were also reduced by 20%.
The conclusion of the experts is that this system only takes five minutes to apply, is non-polluting and non-toxic, and really reduces flies. However, the scientists believe that more tests are needed with a larger number of cows.